LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Newcastle Knights coach Adam O'Brien has expressed his frustration with the NRL scheduling after deciding to withdraw star fullback Kalyn Ponga from their recent 20-6 loss against the Dragons.
This decision came on the heels of Ponga playing 80 minutes for the Queensland Maroons in a demanding State of Origin match just two days prior.
Despite wanting to play, Ponga has been dealing with an ankle injury which affected his training during the Origin camp, although he is expected to be fit for the next game against Manly.
The Knights, now languishing in 14th place with only four wins from 12 games, have faced significant challenges this season.
O'Brien voiced strong criticism of the league's scheduling, stating, "In this battle we lost to the scheduling and the draw." He highlighted the difficulty of playing three games in a span of eight days and called for a reconsideration of the draw: "It would have been good if someone said, give them the Saturday or the Sunday the following week."
O'Brien's remarks point to a broader concern about the fairness and logistics of the NRL schedule, mentioning teams like Canberra that have yet to have a bye and teams that have played consecutive home games without respite.
He added, "whoever does the draws either hasn't lived it or doesn't care, so I don't know which one it is."
This situation underscores growing calls for significant changes to the NRL competition to better accommodate player welfare, particularly in relation to the scheduling of games after the intense State of Origin series.